In no particular order.... meet your competition in this year's SYTYCD pool:
Team Maryn
Players: Marc and Karyn
Marc decided to become The Milk Man when has wife Karyn said she wanted to have kids. Marc quit his job as an acupuncturist and began delivering The Milk. Usually he made his deliveries once a day but on occasion Karyn requested more Milk, so Marc made more Deliveries! Karyn spends her days smoking cigarettes and cleaning house. On her spare time she shops for clothing at thrift shops and the good will. When Marc is not delivering The Milk and Karyn is not cleaning house they love to dance. Their favorite places to dance are on the kitchen table, in the shower and most of all on their front lawn. They prepared for the first season of SYTYCD by taking professional dance lessons so they could study the dancers every move. Karyn and Marc live in Sunny San Diego. All of Marc’s Milk Deliveries were finally fruitful as they now have a 15 week old son, Elijah! In this rough economy Marc was “Laid-off” and now Karyn has resumed the Milk making responsibilities, however Marc is not the recipient of any of the “Liquid Gold” she produces…this is all for Elijah!
"Mia Michaels Stinks"
Players: Beth and Ryan Donnelly
Married for 2 yrs - together for 10. We are native New Englanders and love spending summers in Maine. Love SYTYCD but thinks they need to kick Mia Michaels to the curb....she's so rude!
"JOY-BA-WA-GEES"
Players: Joy and Gonzalo
Joy and Gonzalo are SYTYCD Pool newbies residing in Miami Beach. This Filipina/Colombian duo is hoping to spend their winnings on Caipirihnas and Jamaican Juleps this summer.
Hot Tamale Train
Player: Sasha Nagy
Long time SYTYCD fan, first time gambler! Also first time I've had to pick a "team name" when it's just little old me representing! I think Mary would approve. Obsessed with all dance shows (with the exception of that lame one Elizabeth Berkley hosted), dance movies, Cat Deeley's ridiculous wardrobe, and cheesy gossip sites so betting on SYTYCD seemed like the next logical step in my life. Hopefully my carefully planned method of choosing contestants by picking names out of a hat* works for me!
*didn't really pick names out of a hat, but if I lose, that's the story I'm going with!
Team You Got Served
Player: JOSH GRODIN
Self Proclaimed Best Jewish Male Caucasian Dancer East Of the Mississippi...Smooth, polished skills, honed originally from Bar Mitzvah to Bat Mitzvah back in the day when he was becoming a man. (note most jewish kids hone their skills on this circuit but often the skills erode as time passes by). This kid has kept his skills current and can now be found weekend nights harlem shaking in the basement of Clerys. Hip-Hop maybe his "go to" however he can acclimate to rap, disco, heavy metal, you name it. The kids got range and all the moves to back it up. Robot, sure, he'll even throw a running man in there if he has to. Did you say MJ? If you think he doesn't have the dance routines from the likes of Thriller, Beat it, Billy Jean and Smooth Criminal memorized you'd be horribly mistaken. Our Matzah Ball is willing to take on any caucasian in the Northeast, he's got that kind of confidence. He can captivate an audience with moves not normally seen from a Jewish diabetic with clammy palms..... YOU JUST GOT SERVED!
Deeley With It!
Players: Mitch and Ellie
Mitch and Ellie here from Milwaukee, WI. Mitch was born in Boston, and went to summer camp with Melissa and Mikey G. Ellie is from Tennessee and went to Stanford to establish her Cali cred. We're both huge fans of SYTYCD.
The Adam Shankman Haircut Experience
Player: Lonny Pugh
The founder and sole member of TASHE allegedly spent the night before writing this bio with a martini in one hand and the TV remote in the other, DVRing last-season SYTYCD highlights for the 8,000th time. Is that pathetic or intimidating? Both?
Iknowicandance.
Player: Rembrandt
I take hip hop classes at equinox and I must say that I do pretty well for someone as old as I am. I can keep up with the kids and love this show more than AI. Thanks.
OCEANIC 3
Players: Marni, Jamie and Elissa
Marni Blake Rothman, Jamie Goldstein and Elissa Farkas make up what is known as the Oceanic 3, returning once again after watching their top pick Chelsea from last year make it to Dancing with The Stars. They all met at the University of Michigan bonding over reality TV and General Hospital. Now on their own career paths, they spend most of their free time watching musically inclined programs following SYTYCD since Season One. Residing in New York City, single and dreaming big for one of them to make it to a live taping of the show.
Team Wipeout
Players: Matt and Caroline Kunitz
Matt and Caroline have been participating in Idol and SYTYCD pools for years and have never won. There are due for a big win so watch out.
Deeley’s Dolls
Players: SYTYCD enthusiasts (and rabid Cat Deeley lovers), Erica Gray and Rebecca Feferman
Forced to start taking ballet when she was 4, Erica began dancing before she even knew what it was. Her stage debut was at the age of 5 when she was cast as “Mayor of the Munchkins” in her studio’s performance of The Wizard of Oz. (Dorothy and her co-horts were played by girls in the older classes so she, essentially, booked the lead role for her age group. Not bad for her first time out!) Many other recitals came and went but, at the end of the day, ballet was always something that she HAD to do – and no kid likes doing what they are told they HAVE to. After quitting ballet at the age of 11, Erica returned to dance her Freshman year in high school when she joined the school’s drill team – performing with the band and flag team during halftime at football games in the Fall and performing hip hop/lyrical/jazz routines at various competitions against other Southern California high school squads in the Spring. Clearly, she wasn’t aware of the very low ‘coolness factor’ of this decision and how it would affect her social life, especially on weekends when she missed out on too many parties and trips to Lake Havasu. In the end, that didn’t really seem to matter, though, and she remained on the squad until after Sophomore year when a hip injury forced her to resign. (The fact that she didn’t make the cut when it came to the very special “Top 6” competition group, and girls who had been on the squad for a shorter period of time did, may have also had something to do with it – she is a proud Leo after all.) She joined the swim team for a semester but quickly realized she missed dancing too much to give it up entirely. She joined the Varsity cheerleading squad her Junior year (SO not the kind of squad you see on ESPN – we were lucky if we nailed a basket toss or liberty) and danced her way through numerous pep rallies until graduation. Once she started college in Santa Barbara, though, the only dancing she did was the kind at clubs or parties under the influence of a cocktail or several, with the occasional studio or gym class – and it has remained that way to this day. Erica didn’t discover SYTYCD until Season 4 but was quickly hooked. What a season!!! Since then, she has caught up on previous seasons via You Tube and is even more passionate about it. (Truthfully, she couldn’t get through the first season in its entirety, though – no one warned her that Cat didn’t come along until Season 2!) Watching SYTYCD brings back fond memories of her youth, along with a bit of regret for not being as disciplined as she should have been. Oh, what she wouldn’t give to ‘booty pop’ for a Shane Sparks number or Gumby-fy her body in all the perfectly imperfect ways Mia asks of her dancers or tell a story through the smooth and hard-hitting choreography of Nap/Tab or bring out her inner freak to Sonia’s left-of-center dance style and music selection. At least Fox got with the program and picked it up for Fall, as well, so she won’t have to wait a whole year between seasons and can continue to live vicariously through the ridiculously talented youngsters on the show! Erica currently resides in Los Angeles, California.
Although Rebecca has a hazy recollection of going to a ballet class at some point before the age of 4, she has pretty much zero personal experience with dance on a professional level. Sure, she got whiplash from headbanging to Nirvana at her 7th grade dance, and could slow dance to "Lady in Red" with the best of them, but anything choreographed beyond the Electric Slide and the Macarena was a little too complicated for this tomboy to handle. After a brief and ill-advised tour on the Frat Party dance circuit in the early "Back That Ass Up" era at the University of Michigan, she traded in her black pants and tube tops for the seductive world of waiting tables for the remainder of her college free-time. Post-university found Rebecca in Los Angeles, a fresh faced and bright-eyed publicist (at least for the first 6 months), who ultimately became too busy and burnt out to do much but work, watch TV and sleep. One fateful summer evening in 2005, Rebecca happened upon SYTYCD Season 1 and, for the first time, felt the magic of dance reaching into her heart of hearts. Even with mediocre first season host Lauren Sanchez (FUN FACT! aka Mrs. Patrick Whitesell) and egotistical Blake front and center, she fell hard and fast for those passionate kids with talent to spare. Her obsession has increased exponentially each season, as the effervescent Cat Deeley took the reins in Season 2 and steered the show through Mia's elegant park bench moment and Allison & Ivan's sweet hip-hop under the umbrella, to Sabra & Neil's powerful boardroom display in Season 3 and Season 4's irrepressible Katee & Joshua doing ANYTHING. Her favorite choreographers include (duh) Mia, Sonya, Shane Sparks and (until recent sexual assault allegations), Alex de Silva. She is beyond thrilled that Dan Karatay, with his too-big-for-him ties and boring, conventional hip-hop has taken a major backseat on the show to the much more qualified, talented, and entertaining Adam Shankman. She is, to put it mildly, PSYCHED for what Season 5 will bring. Rebecca currently resides in Austin, Texas.
Big Spin-Spin
Players: Marissa and Joanne
Big Spin-Spin is new to the competition this year, but not new to the world of dance. These ladies have frequented dance floors all over the world...From Rick's American Cafe in Ann Arbor, to the Palladium in Acapulco to Naked Lunch in NYC. Mia Michaels is their one true love, busting a move is always a top priority, and dancing for their lives is what they do best.
Pas de Deux
Players: Trice and Dean
This formidable force formed in January of 2006. He, a musician, wrote and recorded with Eddie Van Halen and toured with the legendary band Journey. She, a former dancer, toured with SYTYCD’s own Benji and Lacey Schwimmer. He has songs placed in films, television and a Grammy nominated album. She, was threatened within an inch of her life by Shabba-Doo, choreographer and director of Breakin’ 2 Electric Boogaloo. Together they are Pas de Deux.
Team Lucy
Players: Sara and Rachel
Sisters Rachel and Sara make up Team Lucy, named after Rachel's 3-month old . . . We are serious SYTYCD worshippers and happy to join the competition this year.
Winos of Wisteria Lane
Players: Deb, Jana, Jodi, Sam and Eric
BIO AND PHOTO COMING SOON....
The SOBE Hook-Up
Players: Stacy and Max
Max and Stacy, formerly known as, "The South Beach Hook- Up" are back this year with a vengeance after placing 2nd last year in the SYTYCD pool (in which, by the way, there was no prize awarded). This year, instead of hooking up friends and relatives with hotels and deals in South Beach, Max is hooking himself up with a glass of scotch while playing the air guitar to "Corduroy". Stacy spends her days taking hip hop classes at the gym and making music and dance videos with her kids. Dora's out, Taylor Swift is in!
SYTYCD family style? Count them in!
Team Hardbodies
Player: Rich Leist
Rich is a casting producer who has been in every SYTYCD and AI pool for the last 2 1/2 years and never gets close to winning. When not sending paypal money to the winners he as a accomplished Endurance athlete. He did the Ironman last year and this year started training first marathoners for the LA marathon. His running group is called “HARDBODIES” and they are sponsored by “THECHIMP.NET- Twitter Celeb Sightings.”
The Jidges
Players: Melissa and Brooke
From a young age, the Rappaport sisters knew that they were performers. Both started as gymnasts; Melissa was the super star but it just did not seem to work out for Brooke. Brooke also enrolled in ballet class but quit while her parents were on vacation and even took jazz for one class. Although professional dance did not work out for Brooke, she now does Zumba to stay in shape. These days, both sisters enjoy performing their favorite show tunes like "Out Tonight" and "I Am Telling You" for their parents. Skilled in booty shaking, these girls really know how to attract black men.
The Dancemakers
Players: Brooke and Erik
"The Dancemakers made their theater debut in the original Broadway production of A Chorus Line. Both suffered severe balletic injuries prior to opening night and were forced to turn their back on the world of dance. After years of drug abuse and self pity, they came out of retirement at the request of the lovely Melissa Rappaport to select the winners of So You Think You Can Dance. "
Kat Deeley's Pharmacist
Players: Karen & Jason Carbone
Through years of training, including one on one sessions with Justin Timberlake and Rev Run, Karen & Jason have honed their skills, moves and grooves. From dancing to Louis Armstrong's Wonderful World on their wedding day fifteen years ago to the Hokey Pokey at their daughters' school these two continue to make dance a priority. If not for a slip of the tongue in front of Nigel Lythgoe two years ago Karen & Jason were set to take the dance world by storm. But that fateful night changed their dance career forever. Now comfortably ensconced in Los Angeles, Karen and Jason will use their dance acumen to predict the future of the remaining SYTYCD contestants. Oh, and if that doesn't work we are plying Kat Deely with a wide variety of pharmaceuticals and believe we have the inside track.
Dearheart & Lulabelle
Players: Olivia & Caroline Carbone
Not to be outdone by their parents, Olivia, Caroline, plan on bringing their youthful knowledge and dance insight to an otherwise adult competition. Since the start of SYTYCD they have been loyal fans and feel they have gained insight into the unpredictable nature of the triumvirate of myopic judges. Through careful preparation they prepared for the draft with the eye of the tiger and the ferocity of an NFL club. Though they didn't always agree on their choices, they feel that this competition will take them from the "kid's table" to the dinning room, and in turn all the way to the bank. Don't let their cute team name throw you. These two are stone cold SYTYCD killers!
Lady Ro Ro
Player: Jen Romanski
Proud and not-so-modest winner of the first ever Rappa Pool, Jenny Romanski is a girl obsessed with SYTYCD. While eating lunch in Miami Beach, Jenny jumped over two restaurant tables and nearly pushed over a 6 year old boy just so she could meet her all-time favorite contestant: Travis Wall ("who was totally robbed of first place and I'm still bitter about it!") Jenny loves to dance, especially after a few glasses of sangria. She's a fan of contemporary and especially lyrical, where she has been known to take over wedding dance floors with lip sync / dance numbers to the likes of Michael Jackson and Cyndi Lauper. Jenny designs stationery and wedding invitations for a living, and is a featured designer on tinyprints.com and weddingpaperdivas.com
Crockett and Tubbs
Players: Jon and Erin
Coming off the big Idol win, these 2 have huge egos. They are ready to round kick you in the face with another 1st place finish. Also, they both enjoy napping.
team name TBD
Player: Jenni
Jenni is going to be a famous hair stylist one day. For now, you can find her drinking “Bullets” while working at Trocadero on Friday nights. Occasionally she will break out in dance if she’s had enough liquor.
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